Did you know that all accidents at work must be logged in an accident report book? If not, read this guide to find out everything from who is responsible for filling in an accident book to how you can claim compensation for your workplace injuries.
Employers are under a duty to take reasonable care of the health and safety of their employees under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. However, when accidents at work happen, they must be logged in an accident report book. The main purpose of this is to create an official record of all accidents and injuries. However, it also allows for employers to determine what accidents occur the most and why. This helps to prevent future accidents and may also be used as evidence in accident at work compensation claims.
Therefore, this guide will explain what an accident report book is and who is responsible for filling it in. It will then discuss workplace injuries and why it is important to log them. Further, it will then explain who can report an accident at work and how to claim compensation for injuries with a No Win No Fee contract. Finally, it will provide access to links for further information on accident at work claims.
If you want to claim compensation for an accident at work, contact our advisors today:
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Browse Our Guide
- What Is An Accident Book?
- Who Is Responsible For Filling In An Accident Book?
- Reporting Accidents As An Employee
- What Types Of Injuries Should Be Recorded In An Accident Book?
- Why Is It Important For Those Responsible To Fill In An Accident Book?
- How Do I Report An Accident At Work?
- Can I Claim For A Workplace Accident On A No Win No Fee Basis?
- Learn More About How To Claim For An Accident At Work
What Is An Accident Book?
An accident report book is a formal document that is used to report and record workplace injuries. This helps to manage the health and safety of the workplace to determine how accidents occur and how often they happen. This helps to prevent injuries and accidents in the future.
Under the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1979, an accident report book is a legal requirement for workplaces with 10 or more employees. This is to manage and assess risks that may jeopardise the safety of staff.
For serious workplace accidents, employers must always report certain workplace injuries to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). This is a legal requirement under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR). However, serious injuries must still be logged in the workplace accident report book. The HSE monitor workplace health and safety.
If you have been involved in a workplace accident, contact our advisors today.
Who Is Responsible For Filling In An Accident Book?
A responsible person can fill in the accident book. However, they must ensure that they accurately note all of the accident details and relevant information. Some examples of who can do this are:
- An employer or appointed employee.
- A health and safety officer.
- A first aider.
However, the employer has a legal obligation to report certain incidents to the HSE under RIDDOR. This must be done by the employer, a self-employed person or the people in control of the work premises.
Who is responsible for filling in the accident book and who makes the report to the HSE may be two different people.
If you have become injured at work, contact one of our advisors today to claim compensation.
Reporting Accidents As An Employee
Having looked at who is responsible for filling in the accident book after a workplace incident, we’re going to talk about how employees can report accidents on the premises in a way that is compliant with the law.
Any employees who have been involved in, or witnessed an accident occur could fill in the accident at work book. While the report can be made by anyone, the responsible person will need to check the information is accurate and relevant.
An incident report should contain the following:
- The name of the injured person or persons, as well as your name if you are making the report on behalf of someone else.
- The date and time the incident took place.
- Details of what occurred and who was involved.
- What injuries were sustained.
A report should be made as soon as possible after the incident, whether the injured person is capable of filling it in themselves or not. This ensures there is an official record of the accident straight away, which will be useful not only to the HSE if the accident needs to be reported under RIDDOR but also to the injured person as evidence if they seek to make a claim.
Our advisors can offer further guidance on what to include in the accident book, as well as assess your eligiblity to claim for free. Get in touch today using the contact information provided below.
What Types Of Injuries Should Be Recorded In An Accident Book?
All injuries must be logged in a workplace accident report book. Here are some examples of what injuries you may log:
- A broken rib that may have been caused by slips and trips at work.
- A head injury at work from a falling object.
- A back injury at work caused by the manual handling of objects.
Under RIDDOR, employers have a legal obligation to report serious injuries to the HSE. Some examples of these include:
- Accidents at work resulting in death
- Accidents at work resulting in specified injuries
- Diagnosed cases of industrial diseases
- Certain dangerous occurrences (incidents likely to cause harm)
If you have sustained an injury at work, contact one of our advisors today.
Why Is It Important For Those Responsible To Fill In An Accident Book?
Here are some examples of why it is important for those responsible to fill in an accident book:
- It keeps an official record of all workplace accidents.
- The accident report may be used as evidence in a personal injury claim.
- It may help to establish trends as to why accidents are occurring. This may then show how they may be avoided in the future.
- It may help to prevent legal backlash.
To make an accident at work claim, contact our advisors today.
How Do I Report An Accident At Work?
All workplace accidents should be recorded in an accident report book. The report must include particular information about the accident such as:
- The name of the person who was injured
- The time, date and location of the accident
- The circumstances of the accident
- The injuries sustained
- The name of the person responsible for the accident (if known or relevant)
- The names of any witnesses to the accident
- The name of the person filling out the accident book, this applies whether it is who is responsible for filling in the accident book or another party. For example if the named responsible person was not available.
To claim compensation for an injury at work, contact one of our advisors today.
Can I Claim For A Workplace Accident On A No Win No Fee Basis?
Have you been injured in a workplace accident? If so, our panel want to help you. They are specialists in personal injury claims and can use their expertise to help you claim compensation. Further, they can walk you through your claim, explain key legal terms and may help you obtain evidence.
Our panel of dedicated solicitor offer strict No Win No Fee terms to eligible claimants. This means that you may issue your claim through a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). There are many benefits to this. For example, you pay no upfront or ongoing costs for your solicitor’s work. Further, you only pay a success fee if your claim is successful. This means that a small legally capped percentage of your compensation will be deducted to pay for your solicitor’s work.
If you want to claim compensation for an accident at work, contact our advisors today:
- Visit our contact page
- Call our advisors: 0800 408 7827
- Speak to our advisors on our live chat
Learn More About How To Claim For An Accident At Work
For more information on accident at work claims, visit the helpful links below:
- Information on whether you can be sacked for having an accident at work.
- Information on whether you get full pay if injured at work.
- Information on No Win No Fee solicitors.
References:
- Information on statutory sick pay, issued by GOV.
- Information on how to make a RIDDOR report, issued by the HSE.
- Information on where to find your nearest urgent care centre, issued by the NHS.
Thank you for taking the time to read this guide about who is responsible for filling in an accident book.